Cornelliana Missing Beebe Lake this Summer? Dive into Some Fascinating Facts! Stories You May Like Tune Your Radio Dial To … Fascinating Facts About WVBR! The Notable Lives Behind (Seven More) Big Red Buildings Garden Tour Get into the swim with these 16 details you may not know about East Hill’s beloved body of water! By Joe Wilensky Beebe Lake and its environs offer a cherished respite from the bustle of campus. Students, staff, faculty, and alumni canoe and kayak on its waters, walk and jog its trails, and relax on its shore. But how much do you know about Big Red’s beloved body of water? Read on for 16 fascinating facts! A scenic commute. (Jason Koski / Cornell University) (And for a cold-weather take on the lake, check out our previous story on Beebe in winter!) It traces its origin to Ezra himself! In the late 1830s, Ezra was working for a local owner of plaster and flour mills along Fall Creek. He built a dam to secure hydropower for the mills, forming a swampy pond upstream. Six decades later, a higher dam created today’s 53-million-gallon lake—supplying water to the expanding campus and powering a hydroelectric plant in the gorge below. It’s (mostly) shallow! The vast majority of the 17-acre lake only ranges from 6–10 inches deep—though one channel hugging the north shore is about 4–7 feet deep and another along the south measures about 4–5 feet in depth. In decades past, the lake had more plant life on its surface—and North Campus was much less developed. (Rare and Manuscript Collections) It’s named for Ezra’s employer! The moniker of Ezra’s long-ago boss: Jeremiah Beebe. In 1899, the year after the second dam created the lake, Cornell’s trustees officially named it after him. It’s a Reunion hotspot! Class of ’98 alums take to the water during Reunion ’08. (Lindsay France / Cornell University) Each June, scores of returning alumni kayak and canoe on the lake. Some have even ziplined over Hemlock Gorge at Beebe’s east end. It was home to the Hill’s first facility devoted to women’s sports! A women’s boathouse was built on Beebe’s south shore in 1900. Sadly, it was destroyed by fire in 1926. Elaborate floats once battled on its waters! In the 1940s and ’50s, Beebe was the site of a whimsical race held as part of the annual Spring Day celebration, as fraternities and other groups did good-natured battle on its waters. Some of the homemade floats were motorized, a few included pyrotechnics—and most tried to attack or sabotage their rivals, testing their seaworthiness. (Rare and Manuscript Collections / Marc Friedenberg) An annual prank used to turn it (big) red! A 1960s-era jape saw Beebe dyed a carnelian hue each spring, when members of Alpha Chi Sigma fraternity would put red dye into the stream above—“in an attempt,” the Daily Sun then noted, “to preserve a tradition of unknown origin.” The lake is especially glorious in fall. (Matt Fondeur / Cornell University) It’s part of a vast nature network! In 1977, the University consolidated oversight of its natural areas—including Beebe’s water, wetlands, and woods—under what’s now known as Cornell Botanic Gardens. It boasts 3,700 acres, with 17 miles of on-campus pathways. It got a massive makeover in time for its 150th birthday! Celebrating Beebe’s own sesquicentennial. (Rare and Manuscript Collections) In the 1980s, the University launched a major project to dredge, restore, and beautify the lake and its environs—creating new paths and protecting their role as an active floodplain. Stories You May Like Tune Your Radio Dial To … Fascinating Facts About WVBR! The Notable Lives Behind (Seven More) Big Red Buildings The effort culminated in a 150th birthday party in 1988, complete with a cake-shaped float. It has a (tiny) island! No fantasy: it’s an island! (Jason Koski / Cornell University) Located just west of Sackett Bridge, it’s named Werly Island (for longtime Botanic Gardens supporter Charles Werly 1927). Formed out of gravel and silt dredged from the lake during the 1980s restoration, it was engineered to deflect the flow of Fall Creek, allowing sediment to be carried further downstream. Its historic footbridge connects to trails—and the law! Once upon a time, swimming below Sackett Bridge was allowed—and wildly popular. (Rare and Manuscript Collections) The scenic stone structure—site of many a Cornellian marriage proposal—is named for University benefactor Henry Woodward Sackett 1875, a prominent lawyer and expert in libel law (as well as a colonel in the New York State cavalry). Some of Sackett’s cases became legal precedents that have protected journalists from contempt of court for refusing to reveal their sources. It’s a living lab and classroom! Hauling in a catch. (Sreang Hok / Cornell University) Beebe’s waters and shore are regularly used by classes in such fields as ecology, natural resources, plant science, environmental engineering. It’s also home to for-credit phys ed courses, including fly fishing and bass angling. It appeared in silent films of the early 20th century! From 1915–19, Ithaca’s Wharton Studios used the area’s gorges and other natural features as dramatic backdrops. They shot scenes on and around Beebe for films like The Love Lute of Romany and serials including The Mysteries of Myra and The Eagle’s Eye. A watery setting for 1916’s The Mysteries of Myra. (Rare and Manuscript Collections) It (sort of) has a beach! In the run-up to its 25th Reunion, a class chose an improvement to Beebe as its fundraising project. Dedicated in 1991, “Class of 1966 Beebe Beach” is now graced by fully grown sycamore trees and other greenery. Like Werly Island, the land was built up from silt dredged from the lake in the ’80s. It’s officially part of the University’s ‘front door’! The Tang Center’s rear terrace looks out over the lake. (Lindsay France / Cornell University) In 2018, the starting spot for campus tours was moved from Day Hall to a renovated space in the former Noyes Lodge at Beebe’s western edge. Called the Martin Y. Tang ’70 Welcome Center, it boasts a dramatic view of Beebe from its terrace—and welcomes thousands of visitors each year. And … it helped inspire a shift in the Chinese language! More than a century ago, Hu Shih 1914 and two fellow students were boating when they capsized and swam to shore. Each penned a poem about the experience—two using classical Chinese, Hu the more colloquial tongue. Years later—inspired in part by that experience—he helped lead a linguistic revolution in China, fueling widespread literacy as millions shifted to a more accessible vernacular. A plaque along Beebe’s shore pays tribute to Hu; a North Campus residence hall bearing his name opened in 2022. Want to learn more? Watch “Beebe Lake: Past, Present, and Future,” hosted by Cornellians contributing editor Corey Ryan Earle ’07 and Todd Bittner, director of natural areas for Cornell Botanic Gardens. Capturing the lake in paint for a summer session class in 1992. (Rare and Manuscript Collections) Top: A vintage view of Beebe and the bygone Japes Lodge, the 1920s-era structure that was once a center of student social life (Rare and Manuscript Collections). Published July 14, 2023 What are your favorite Beebe Lake memories? Comments Stephen Knowlton, Class of 1965 25 Jul, 2023 I think that Alpha Chi Sigma used to die the lake green. Reply Jill Rowan, Class of 1982 25 Jul, 2023 Pancake House Reply Myra Boenke, Class of 1980 25 Jul, 2023 Walking over in when it was frozen in winter. Reply Luis Mariscal, Class of 1996 25 Jul, 2023 When I first arrived during the summer program back in June 1991, one of the first places I discovered and hiked around was Beebe Lake. I’d never been on campus before and my young self thought the lake a precious campus spot and focus of North campus. Little did I know of what lies beyond Beebe Lake, the halls, buildings, quads, Collegetown, the Gardens. It all connects- like nature; what a wonder. Reply Carol Bagger Skinner, Class of 1949 25 Jul, 2023 Folk dancing on the roof of Noyes Lodge in the 60’s Reply Virginia Glann Schneider, Class of 1964 25 Jul, 2023 During the summer of 1962, I lived with a family on Forest Rd. and my boyfriend at the time would walk me from the campus to their house often. It was a very special lovely time. There was the legend that if you walked around Beebe Lake with someone, you would marry him or her; I did not, however, wind up marrying him. Reply Kendall Minges, Class of 1970 25 Jul, 2023 I remember ice skating on Beebe in the 1950s with fellow high school students (ithaca High). We would attempt to jump over increasing numbers of empty 55 gallon oil barrels onto a snow pile along the shoreline to help avoid the shock of landing on the ice. Great times and good memories! Ken Minges, M.A.,!970 Reply Charlie strauss, Class of 1990 25 Jul, 2023 I spent hours on many days kayaking on the lake from the outing club. We played ultimate kayak,. Played in the falls currents, and found all the submerged pylons of the old sled luge runs that came down from the chemistry department hill. I taught many people how to paddle and roll their kayaks. It was the home of the Cornell outing club. In summer I would some times leap off the Cliff between sacked bridge and the falls into the deep part of the lake. Reply Susan Rockford Bittker, Class of 1966 25 Jul, 2023 I took canoeing as part of my Phys Ed requirement. Part of the class was in the pool in Helen Newman; part on Beebe. In one class we were told to paddle out on the lake while standing up in the middle of the canoe, turn around and paddle back. Most had great difficulty trying to turn their canoe around. The instructor said “I said turn around, not turn the canoe around. She meant turn your body around! Much easier!! Reply Eric Key, Class of 1977 25 Jul, 2023 This spring I saw snapping turtles laying eggs on the shore. Reply Martha Warren McKinney, Class of 1968 25 Jul, 2023 Being a professor’s kid, I grew up in Ithaca. When Beebe froze in winter, the University opened part of it for skating, and what fun we kids had! There was even a warming shed where we could buy cocoa. Reply Vasiliki (Kiki) Angelopoulos Volkwein, Class of 1962 25 Jul, 2023 After meeting my future husband at Cornell we spent the summer of 1962 having lunch together everyday at Noyes Lodge. We visited Beebe Lake with our two sons and all five grandchildren the summer of of 2022 to celebrate our 60th year together. Reply Vasiliki (Kiki) Angelopoulos Volkwein, Class of 1964 25 Jul, 2023 My husband (’62 and ’68) and I (’64) have fond memories of Cornell! Reply Ron Klein, Class of 1976 25 Jul, 2023 Fond memories of hiking around the lake during an evening snowstorm. A winter wonderland. Reply Paul Jennette, Class of 1987 25 Jul, 2023 I have many fond memories of walking around the lake with my (then-future) wife — I suppose that legend is true! Eating pancakes at Noyes Lodge (“Best by a dam site”) was a treat, and getting soaked on the footbridge by the spray from the water falling over the dam in the spring seemed like a right of passage. Reply Jacob (Jack) Hershey Martin, Class of 1954 25 Jul, 2023 My Mother, Mary Hershey, class of 1922, broke her nose riding a toboggan down the slide that ended on the lake. Reply Nelson Spencer, Class of 1961 25 Jul, 2023 “Japes” (the Johnny Parsons Club) on the lake was a favorite hangout for Architecture students in the late ’50s. Good food, cheap drinks and a free piano. Reply Mark Gibian, Class of 1977 25 Jul, 2023 I have fond memories of Beebe Lake in the late 60’s and early 70’s. As a Townie, I often swam below Sackett Bridge with friends after Middle and High School. We jumped off the bridge and cliffs, and swam up the gorge to the waterfalls, trying to impress the college students. Reply John Brindley, Class of 1976 25 Jul, 2023 I lived in North Campus high rise 5 in ’74 and ’75 and remember waking to class in MVR Hall. Didn’t matter if it was winter, spring or fall it was a beautiful break from class work. It was a centering exercise allowing me to unwind and take in the natural beauty that so many missed in their rush to get to class. A practice I have continued to this day, I’m aware of the natural beauty around me where ever I might be. Reply Marty galen, Class of 1964 25 Jul, 2023 I believe it was once the home of the Cornell hockey team Marty galen. 64 Reply Priscilla Rachun Linn, Class of 1963 25 Jul, 2023 When I was about seven, I learned to skate on Beebe Lake. I couldn’t understand at first why I was falling down so often when others were breezing along. My extended family went skating often in the winters in the 1950s. It was my class, 1966, that created Beebe Beach as a class gift. Reply Nathanael Greene Slater, Class of 1975 25 Jul, 2023 Walking to and from Forest Home, during the seasons. Reply Jim Warren, Class of 1970 25 Jul, 2023 Jumping off the bridge and the gorge just upstream. Probably frowned on now. (Also a Townie so I know Ithaca in the summer). Reply Carolyn Handler Miller, Class of 1963 25 Jul, 2023 For me, Beebe Lake was a paradise in both summer and winter. While I was at Cornell (class of 1963), we could swim there in the warm weather and ice skate in the winter. Ice skating on real ice, not a rink, is a special and fairly rare, treat! Reply Carl Anderson, Class of 1968 25 Jul, 2023 This is about Noyes Lodge rather than the lake itself, but I always associate the two in my mind. My first student employment was evenings in the kitchen at Noyes Lodge. The assistant manager was in charge during those evenings. And Architecture students hung out there every evening, always sitting by the jukebox and invariably playing The Rolling Stones’ “Get Off of My Cloud.” (I thought Architecture students were the coolest!) As the song neared its end, one of the students would knock the jukebox with his elbow, the needle would skid noisily across the record, and the song would start over again. Repeatedly. The assistant manager would become ever redder in the face and ever more insistent that this behavior should cease, until he would storm across the room and unplug the d***d machine. Minutes would pass; the plug would be reconnected; another dime would be found; and the cloud would resume. Etc. Reply Elsie PL Dentes, Class of 1977 25 Jul, 2023 I grew up in and around Beebe Lake as a townie. My older sisters, Susan (’66) and Martha (’69) were both lifeguards at the lake when there was an official swimming area at Sackett Bridge and low and high diving boards. Tourists would come through all the time and the lifeguards would bet them that I, as a 6-7-yr. old would jump off the bridge(which I did with ease). I earned us a lot of money and then the lifeguards would send me down to Noyes Lodge to get us all milkshakes. Summer fun! Reply Marion Malcolm (Chute), Class of 1961 25 Jul, 2023 My favorite Beebe Lake memory is of skinny dipping at nighttime during the summers I spent in Ithaca! Reply harriette scannell morgan, Class of 1952 26 Jul, 2023 meeting my brother there when we were both at cornell,3 years apart. HARRIETTE SCANNELL MORGAN 1952 Reply Gerald R Miller, Class of 1961 26 Jul, 2023 Stehen Knowlton is correct. The lake was dyed GREEN, not red. For the initial year, I was one of the 4 members of Alpha Chi Sigma who waded into the lake from the south shore at early twilight on the beautiful Saturday of spring weekend 1960 carrying several pounds of Fluorescein which fluoresces a bright yellow-green. By about 9am the Triphammer Bridge was crowded with students and their weekend dates. The falls were especially gorgeous. Reply Stephen L. Rosen, Class of 1959 26 Jul, 2023 Yes, we (Alpha Chi Sigma) dyed the lake a bright, fluorescent green on Spring Weekend for a few years after the powers that be banned the boat races (which had degenerated into battles, leaving the lake a mess). Reply Mary Giannini 26 Jul, 2023 I loved walking around the lake. I took canoeing for Phys Ed my very first semester – it was a great introduction to water completely unlike the ocean (in Hawaii) of my childhood. Reply Jarrid Whitney, Class of 1994 31 Jul, 2023 As a member of the wrestling team during training runs, we would sometimes cross over Sackett Bridge. And at the time, the freshmen were required to jump in! I definitely did it! Reply Otto Richter, Class of 1952 1 Aug, 2023 Campus Pranks One of the major events every Spring Weekend during the 1950’s was the Inter-Fraternity Crew race held on Beebe Lake on Saturday mornings. There were two prizes: one for original design (eg a pirate ship, floating cake of Ivory Soap, etc.) and one for speed. In the Spring of 1951, I was chairman of the Weekend Committee. While waiting for a lecture to begin at 9:00 AM Friday, someone approached me to ask “Did you know that they are DRAINING THE LAKE! I guessed that the dam workers were doing it without realizing we were holding an event the next day. I cut class and rushed to the hydraulic plant to see what was happening. The men were there and as upset as I was. Some pranksters had snuck into the plant during the night and opened the gates in hopes of ruining the race. The workers had already closed the gates and thought there might be just enough water the next day to proceed with the race. Fortunately, they were correct, and the event proceeded on schedule, Reply Bayla (Schlossberg) Singer, Class of 1960 14 Apr, 2024 I had an early-morning part time job in a small department library on campus, and had to get there before breakfast was served in my freshman dorm. I would stop at Japes for a tuna fish sandwich and a half-pint of ice cream; my mother somehow didn’t think that was a nutritious breakfast! I loved seeing the seasons change, morning by morning. I also loved skating on Beebe, until one day my partner slipped and fell with his face almost under my skate! I managed to turn aside, and miss him, but never forgot his look of sheer panic. 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